2007 Holiday Super Feature: Staying In Shape Over The Holidays!

We at Bodybuilding.com are serious about getting the best and most relevant information to you so you can make educated decisions this holiday season.

We have put together this super feature so you can find all of our holiday related material in one easy to find location. Check it out now and stay healthy!

From My Heart And Home To Yours, Have A Healthy And Happy Thanksgiving!
+ Click To Enlarge.
Writer, Jennifer Nicole Lee.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

The holidays are a time when we give; we share, socialize, and unfortunately loosen our belts. Generally, we are not loosening our waist band due to our patterned relaxation techniques; it has something to do with the breaded starter, our stuffed main and devious dessert.

The environment in which the Thanksgiving feast circles around is one that doesn't sit too comfortable with our training and nutritional hopes. Your invited family and friends generally bare gifts that have more calories than Willy Wonka's residence and your training program is lost within deep dark holes of T.V., reclining sofas, beers and general entertainment.

Oversized courses and enough leftovers for the following days are enough for you to throw your hands up and say "I will get back on track in the new year..." Stop!! The main problem with the holiday season is that it is all to easy to procrastinate and postpone.

When Mr. Halloween hooks up with his cousins, Mr. Thanksgiving and Father Christmas to see in the New Year's celebration, the odds of exercise and diet survival are stacked against you.

Holiday Tips To Stay In Shape:
  • Create a plan ahead of time.
  • Don't put your fitness goals on hold.
  • On the day of a party, be sure to
         eat regularly all day long.
  • Schedule your workouts.
  • When at a party, start by eating some
         of the healthy offerings.
  • Avoid wasting calories on
         alcoholic beverages.
  • Outsmart The Season.
    We need to fully comprehend why we gain weight at this time of year and how we can resolve this unhealthy phenomenon.
    Holiday Survival Guide.
    A more moderate approach, where you don't overeat to the extreme, will make the whole process easier despite not forgoing anything that matters.

    DIET

    Those trusty nutrition-filled Tupperware containers that have watching your every move throughout the year doesn't have to be your embarrassing sidekick at the holidays. You can make the healthy transition to your dinner plates providing you don't make any sudden moves.

    Whilst I am not saying you should remain on a meticulous diet throughout Thanksgiving, there is nothing wrong with tempting some healthy substitutes towards your impatient cutlery. Turkey without the skin, baked potato instead of mashed and protein bar can all be friends to your figure whilst tickling your taste buds in a social environment.

    Grazing at frequent intervals throughout the day can assist with steady sugar levels and help prevent any sudden crashes. Sugar cravings and overeating at meal times can be minimized by taking these thoughts into practice.

    If you aren't a creative mastermind behind the apron, we have them on hand for you. Here are some great healthy holiday recipes that will more than likely get the whole family craving a curious nibble. Check out these great alternative dishes that will prioritize your taste buds along with your abs.

    Top Diet Methods:
  • Eat tasty/healthy recipes.
  • Eat small and frequent meals.
  • Protein bars make great snacks.
  • Use protein pudding as a desert.
  • Eat good fats to curb cravings.
  • Holiday Weight Gain!
    Yes, it's that time again - time to prepare for the holidays. Want to lessen the effects of the holidays?
    The Thanksgiving Feast!
    If you're gaining mass you don't mind the extra layer, but if you are trying to lean down, this can mean extra dieting to make up for that holiday binge.

    TRAINING

    Lifting heavy objects over your head during the holidays can be as enticing as having Mr. Lector and Charlie Manson as your accompanying dinner guests. You don't have to train on the days of the holidays to best utilize your preventive measures, but training around them can work almost as well. Preparing your day off from your resistance ritual or from your cardio crash course should be done well in advance.

    If you don't prepare, prepare to fail. The day prior to the holiday can involve your normal exercise procedure, and if you failed to read the rest of this Super Feature and gluttony found it way to your guilt, then the day following will need to be spent at the grueling grindstone also.

    There are so many small tweaks and nicks that can keep your fat-burning furnace firing on all cylinders if you do some form of exercise on or around the holidays. Here are just a few examples that will make this job as easy as the one provided for Craig Titus's prosecution team. LOL

    Top Training Methods:
  • Use a jump rope at home.
  • Walk for 10 minutes before dinner.
  • Play a physical game.
  • Involve family and friends to make it fun.
  • Train legs the day before thanksgiving.
  • 5 Benefits Of Cardio!
    Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, is any movement that gets your heart rate up and increases blood circulation.
    Best Holiday Workouts.
    Our forum members give their honest take on training during the holidays. They give great workouts and tips on getting through the season.

    MOTIVATION

    Everyone can make it through the plain sailing part of their nutritional and exercise goals, but it is the winners that make it through the battle field of firearms that shoot temptation and deprivation at us like a loose cannon.

    If exercising and dieting throughout the holidays were meant to be easy, there wouldn't be half as many of you reading this article and there would be many more sets of abdominals wavering for attention. Simple solutions such written goals and photographed reminders of yourself scattered around your home can be just some of the supporters needed to get us through this time of need.

    This is a challenge, life is faced with them and this is only one. The great attribute that you can donate to overcoming this challenge is... you can control it.

    Top Motivational Methods:
  • Watch an inspirational movie.
  • Try a new workout.
  • Assign someone to be accountable to.
  • Imagine the cardio needed to burn off over indulged meals.
  • Frequently look at a picture of a body that inspires you.
  • Motivation 101!
    When you have to scramble for excuses for not going to the gym, then it's time to grab yourself by the ear and pull yourself to the gym!
    Motivation Podcast!
    Dan Gastelu speaks on the special topic of motivation. Being the best takes plenty of dedication and effort.

    BODYBUILDERS GIFT GUIDE

    Are you looking for a great gift for a friend or family member who body builds or is thinking of starting? We created this page to help you out! The world of bodybuilding products and supplements can be extremely confusing to most people who are not familiar with it. It is nearly impossible to just "guess" what products they would want in most cases. Everybody is different. A great product for one bodybuilder is terrible for another.

    There are some universal bodybuilding products that nearly every bodybuilder would appreciate though! This page will highlight a few of them so you can make a quick and easy purchase that we know they will love. We ship by Priority Mail which usually takes about 2 - 3 days for delivery. We will get it there in time for Christmas!

    7 Great Gifts To Give:
  • Bodybuilding Videos.
  • Heart Rate Monitor Watches.
  • Protein Bars.
  • Bodybuilding.com Clothing.
  • Wrist / Knee Wraps.
  • Supplement Accessories.
  • Best Gifts Under $20.
  • Holiday Muscle Gifts!
    Is your significant other a person who enjoys the gym and living a healthy lifestyle? Well look no further.
    Gifts For An Athlete?
    Around the holidays many people become frustrated with shopping. Many of us are probably buying at least one gift for an athlete that we know.

    MORE MOTIVATION HELP

    Find some extra site features to keep you motivated, right here! Motivational videos, podcasts, wallpapers, backgrounds and much more...


    Video Shows:

    AnimalPak.com Training Videos.
    Click Play To Start The Video, Or View Other Video Series.
    Motivational Videos:

  • Jamie Eason: True Beauty.
  • Ava Cowan: Perfecting Your Figure.
  • Getting Hardcore With Ms. Fitness.
  • The Poe Show.
  • LiftRite Exercise Guides.
  • The Fit Show: Posedown The Fit Show: Posedown!
    Chapman Media Group and Bodybuilding.com bring you the best Bodybuilding and Fitness show on the web!
    Inside the Life of a Natural Pro Inside the Life of a Natural Pro!
    Everyone's favorite natural bodybuilder and nutrition expert Layne Norton now has his own video series! You won't want to miss it!


    Podcasts:

    Awesome Muscles Lenda Murray Interview Lenda Murray Interview.
    Dan Gastelu interviews 8-Time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray! Learn about her motivation and how she turned her dreams and goals into reality!
    Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Podcast Pro BB Weekly: The Legendary Reg Park.
    Dan Solomon & Bob Cicherillo talk with none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger's main source of motivation, Reg Park!


    Wallpapers:

    Marzia Prince & Alizia Gutierrez

    Marzia Prince & Alizia Gutierrez.

    Lisa Ciani

    Lisa Ciani.

    Silvio Samuel

    Silvio Samuel.

    Kai Greene

    Kai Greene.

    Download These Wallpapers Here (And More!)


    BodySpace:

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    BodyBlogs:

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    BodyBlogs

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    Photo Gallery:

    Check out thousands of pictures of fitness enthusiasts just like you! Or upload your own and send and receive comments on them.

    View Thousands Of Pictures Or Post Your Own Here.

    Recommend this page to a friend by e-mail here!


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